We're Not Gonna Fake It: A Beauty Brigade Clique story
by Disney Princess Dani
Summary: The Beauty Brigade is BABTE, even if Michelle is not the Alpha. But now that Juli has a HART boyfriend, will they be able to topple Haute Topic? And Pam is in the middle of everything, torn between her new friends, and the girls that first accepted her when she moved to Westchester. Story three of the Beauty Brigde.
1. Back Cover

**Michelle Van Allen:** No longer Alpha, but she's glad to have her Beauty Brigade back. Now, she just needs to figure out how to get her Alphaship back without losing her friends again before she ends up with a bad case of the FATS.

 **Kali Baker:** Is still Alpha, but now of the Brigaders. However, with the soccer boys back at Briarwood, will Kali keep the Beauty Brigade at the top or will she fall to Juli and Haute Topic?

 **Keelin O'Neil:** Wants to create her own Rocky Horror Midnight experience, but with a different movie. What will her friends, and the school think, when she picks _Grease_ for her show and encourages everyone to dress for the experience?

 **Madge Hotchkiss:** Has joined the seventh-grade Sirens, but wants to make starting line-up before the big game against PMS. What better way to improve her game than a little help from some cute up-grades?

 **Pam Van Allen:** Is wondering if not joining the Beauty Brigade was a bad idea. Even though she spends a lot of her time with her cousin and new friends, Haute Topic won't leave her alone to join up with them.

 **Juli Spellton:** Is feeling good. She's got a clique with potential to take over the Brigade. She's got a C-plus that is a total HART, and he actually seems to like her back. Her one problem is that with only three people, her clique seems short-handed.


	2. Trick Or Treat

MICHELLE'S NEIGHBORHOOD  
SIDEWALK  
Saturday, October 31  
3:34 p.m.

Michelle, as per usual, felt confident and bold walking down the street in the long white dress. A little chilled, but beauty required sacrifice. The knees to her ankles, the dress was sheer, it had no sleeves, and the gold accents brought out her glowing skin just right. Granted, some of the gold was real on her arms, but she also had gold accents painted right onto her arms, as well as gold make-up around her eyes.

Beside her was a very handsome Mark Antony, toga, armor, cape and all... with dreamy blue eyes.

Never, in her life, did Michelle think she'd end up in a couples costume. It almost felt like snapping. Group costumes with her best friends, that was fun, but going as Cleopatra and Mark Antony...

Granted, at least her costume was slimming and fashionable. Kali and Bentley, leading the group, were Joan of Arc and God. That made her feel like she would throw up.

"Did you know that you look more like Santa than God?" Madge had mentioned when he had come out as they all met on Michelle's lawn earlier.

"And I still think that going as Hope Solo isn't much effort into a costume," Bentley had replied.

Her neighborhood had been a strategic choice. The homes weren't as extravagant as in Madge's neighborhood, so they weren't as far spread out. As well, it was still a richer neighborhood, so the houses gave out more, and better candy. After all, no one in Keelin's neighborhood gave out Lindt truffles or regular-sized candy bars.

With Kali wrapped up in loose-fitting armor and Madge dressed up as a soccer-player, Michelle's only competition in the group she was with for best-looking were Keelin and Pam. Apparently, the two were nearly the same size, Keelin just a bit taller. They had traded costumes at the last minute. Keelin was dressed as the Black Swan from Swan Lake, and with the shock of make-up and black outfit, her look killed. For once, her curls had been contained in a tight bun.

Pam, on the other hand, was dressed as Brigid Kelly, Keelin's mother. Michelle was only familiar with the look because she knew Brigid and had seen pictures of the woman from years ago at Keelin's house. Ryan and Bentley had had no idea, but a lot of the people opening the doors spotted who she was immediately. She wore a short blue dress, which she had to consciously not pull down every second, and a long blue and green plaid jacket that fell nearly a foot longer than the dress. Keelin and Kali had spent an hour curling Pam's hair, and used nearly a whole bottle of hair spray so that it wouldn't uncurl. The only problem were the shoes, which were a pair of Kali's as Pam didn't fit Keelin's smaller feet. They were black ankle booties with a three inch heel. They made her the same height as Keelin who was in black flats. Over-all, Pam looked really good. Beauty Brigade material, definitely, even though she still was not officially part of the clique.

Michelle didn't really want much candy, the trick-or-treating was mostly for Madge, Keelin, Pam and the boys. Every once in a while, Kali and Michelle would go too, each with a small pouch rather than a pillowcase like the others carried.

"If we want more, all the Halloween candy will be on sale everywhere tomorrow," Kali had reasoned when they had started out.

"Not to mention the Spellton party tonight, there will be plenty," Michelle had agreed. That had been nearly an hour earlier. Since then both their pouches had been filled, with only the best of treats. One house hadn't gotten to the store for candy and was instead giving away silver dollars. Kali had made sure to go to that house and Michelle had given hers to Kali as well, knowing that she needed it more.

"What time is the party, again?" Madge asked as they were between a rather long stretch of houses. They were breaching out of Michelle's neighborhood towards Ringo's. If they went long enough in that direction, they would eventually come upon Madge and Bentley's home, and shortly after that, Juli Spellton.

The only reason the girls were going to the party was because the entire grade, both boys and girls would be there. It would be _the_ place to be that night, for their grade at least, and they would not miss a chance to show their superiority over Haute Topic. For a few days after the Beauty Brigade had reunited, with Pam as a part-time member, they had been the talk of the school again, about how it was great to see them back on top. But then Mini-Mel, Michelle's cousinemy and Pam's sister, had turned their fab saying 'BABTE' from Back And Better Than Ever to Back And Bossier Than Ever, and Haute Topic was being complimented again. This party was their chance to prove that they were, in fact, the better option of leaders.

Juli was their problem, and they all knew it. Trixi Zola, Juli's best friend, was just plain weird. And Mini-Mel, well, they could get her in a lot of trouble because they were harboring a secret for her. She was only eleven and supposed to be in the sixth grade. Pam assured the Brigaders that not even Juli knew that tidbit yet.

"Party time starts at exactly eighteen hundred," Kali said. It was a sure sign that she had been spending a lot more time with her grandfather lately because he always spoke with 24-hour time.

"Which means we'll be arriving around 6:45," Michelle said. She felt Ryan's arm go around her shoulder and she smiled lightly.

Over the course of pretending to like-like him, she had learned a few things about him that she hadn't known, and really did like. For example, she had caught him playing with her bunnies more than once, to the point that they all, now four after the addition of two more named Lucy and Susan, immediately hopped to him whenever he entered their little enclosure. She was only slightly jealous that they liked him more because she couldn't help but smile and laugh when she watched him playing with them. He was the only boy she knew that actually liked to read, once in a while at least. And, best of all, he adored her.

She wasn't ready to lip-kiss him, however. That would not be happening anytime in the foreseeable future unless something drastic happened; like if he suddenly grew another four inches, got a six-pack of abs, and became even cuter than he was.

"That's like, uh," Madge looked at her wrist, only to remember she wasn't wearing her watchlet. None of the Brigaders were as Michelle insisted that they not wear anything that would distract or clash with their costumes.

Bentley fished his phone from his pocket. "Three hours left to trick-or-treat," he said.

"I am not trick-or-treating for another three hours," Kali said. "Let's start on back toward Michelle's and order a few pizzas so we're not spending the whole party stuffing candy down our throats."

"I concur," Michelle said immediately.

"And we can call Ringo over to join," Ryan said. Michelle stopped walking and glared at him with narrowed Indigo eyes. "Or, you know, not."

"I already called him earlier today," Kali said. "He said he was busy and would meet us at the party."

"Okay, I know he doesn't like candy, but he'd probably be good with-" Ryan said, but Michelle cut him off.

"If he's busy, we shouldn't disturb him," Michelle said. She shivered a bit and stepped closer into Ryan's heat. If nothing else, he was like a personal space heater.

Michelle called Luis when they were about half an hour out, and when they arrived at her house, there were two pizzas, as well as Jambas for the whole group. Michelle and Keelin slowly ate their cheese, giggling as Ryan, Bentley, and Madge all argued about who would get the last piece of Meat-lovers. Everything seemed to be going right.

"Anyone else just want to stay here for a horror marathon?" Michelle asked out of the blue.

"As much as I would enjoy that," Kali said, standing, "we do need to go to the party." She didn't say so in front of Ryan and Bentley, but the girls knew it was important to keep up their appearance, especially now that Briarwood was open again. They no longer had the boys around them at school to boost their reputation.

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 **Hey, thanks for reading. In case you're wondering, the title is from the song We're Not Gonna Take It. Hope you enjoy.**


	3. The Haunted Guest House

**Thank to everyone that read and is still reading. I'm having some fun with my characters. As well, I'm going to probably export a bunch of chapters and go through to do edits. Nothing big, but correct spelling mistakes or grammar. Also fix things that didn't stay solid from start to finish (cough Bentley's eye color cough Pam's shoe size and earring status cough). Anyway, hope you enjoy.**

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SPELLTON ESTATE  
SPACIOUS LAWN  
Saturday, October 31st  
6:52 p.m.

Pam had somehow lost track of Michelle, Madge, and Keelin within a few minutes of arriving at the Spellton Estate. She could already tell that Michelle was going to be steaming later, on the inside, as the party was fab.

Several B-listers smiled and greeted Pam as the ballerina turned pop-star for the night walked through the yard. Her practice in the shoes helped her keep balance, but the hours of trick-or-treating had worn on her and her feet were starting to hurt... she'd have to ice them later. Unfortunately, there was nowhere to sit outside.

Between two of the guest houses there was a dance floor set up, lit up with black lights on one side and strobe lights on the other. The DJ was playing great songs for dancing and Pam knew the DSL-Daters would be tearing it up if they were to come to the seventh-grade party.

But they had their own Halloween activities and couldn't be bothered with a LISP party.

"Pam!"

The girl turned to see her little sister. Mel was dressed as a butterfly. The black long-sleeved dress she was wearing was rather short and tight for an eleven-year-old, and Pam knew for a fact that trying on the outfit earlier that day, she had been wearing black leggings and a black tee. At least she was still wearing flats. The headband that had had the antenna had been removed and instead her new ones were cute with no visible band, and they weren't on springs. The wings were the same ones, only now they were better secured as compared to just using straps around her arms.

"You look... um..."

"You're not the black swan," Mel said, looking her over. She shook her head. "Whatever, you still... who are you?"

"Brigid Kelly," Pam said. Mel stared at her. "Keelin's mom."

"Oh, why?" Mel asked.

"Because Keelin and I decided that we would each rather wear the other's costume," Pam said.

"So, essentially you're dressing as a milf?" Mel asked, rather concerned.

"Brigid Kelly was a pop star before we were born," Pam said. "Like, actually rather famous." She looked her sister over again. "What happened to your outfit?"

"Oh, like Mom and Dad would let me leave the house like this," Mel laughed. "But, come on, it's cold out here and there are games inside."

Pam glanced at the guest house, noticing more strobe lights and hearing screams.

"Not that one," Mel said. She led Pam forcibly toward the smallest of the guest houses. Pam knew this was where most of the food would be, along with Rocky Horror Picture Show playing on repeat in one room, and a horror movie marathon in another.

Arriving inside, there was also a pretty intense game of Apples to Apples that Ringo Blake was winning. Ringo, for whatever reason, was dressed as a dalmatian.

"Oh yeah!" Ringo gloated, raising a fist. "That's _another_ win for me."

"Your cards never make sense," one girl yelled, Pam believed her name was Holly Hopper, though both Michelle and Juli referred to the girl as HoHo.

"Hey, when it makes me laugh so much I have to take a break, I have to give it to him," another girl, one Pam didn't recognize, said.

Pam had a feeling that it had more to do with the fact that it was Ringo Blake. Even with spots all over him, he was still the hottest boy she had ever seen. Pam hadn't yet gotten used to him. She and Keelin were getting pretty close, and she and Madge often went running together. She could talk to Bentley, Ryan, and Caleb. And of course she and Michelle were actually friends. But friendships with Ringo and Kali still eluded her, mostly because both still intimidated her. And, while it was true that Michelle also intimidated her, at least she was related to Michelle.

"Pam," HoHo spotted her. "Tell them that Giving a Hug is not Dirty." Holly's brown eyes burned with passion.

"Well, an unwelcome hug is considered sexual harassment," Pam said, a little quietly. The others around the room laughed and rooted. Clearly, that was what they wanted to hear.

"And how, exactly, is Yellowstone Park Explosive?" HoHo asked.

"Well, it is basically a giant super volcano," Pam said.

"And let me guess, Festering Wounds are Delicious?" HoHo asked. Pam looked at Ringo, who just shrugged. Pam couldn't help laughing a bit, what with his dalmatian ears and his sparkling brown eyes.

"It's a game of opinions," Juli's voice said from behind Pam. "And Ringo just knows how to play to people's opinions." Juli walked past Pam and draped herself on Ringo. Pam's eyes, however, widened. Juli was dressed in a short black and white snakeskin dress, held a long cigarette holder with a fake cigarette in it, fishnets, heeled boots, and a shawl with a ton of peacock feathers... and half her hair was white. She was dressed as Cruella de Vil. Juli and Ringo were obviously at the party together.

Pam knew Michelle was going to freak.

"I, uh, I need some air," Pam said and turned around. She fled, and it only took her a few moments to find Ryan. He was talking to a few guys on the soccer team.

"I need to talk to you," Pam said in a hushed and hurried tone. "Privately."

"Uh, yeah, sure," Ryan said. The two stepped away as the other boys all began chuckling and one started to make kissing noises. "What's wrong."

"Ringo's dressed as a dalmatian," Pam said hurriedly.

"Okay, weird," Ryan said. "But was that really important?"

"Juli is Cruella de Vil," Pam said even more hurriedly and her voice reaching a higher than usual octave.

Ryan's dreamy blue eyes widened. "Okay, I see your point," he said.

"Smile you two!" a man with a camera found them. Pam had almost forgotten that Mel had told her that a few photographers would be going around taking pictures throughout the party. He snapped a picture before she could react, so her eyes were wide and she looked frightened.

She hoped that didn't end up on any social media.

Ryan grabbed her arm and led her toward the haunted guest house. "What are you going to tell Michelle?"

"I don't know," Pam said. "You've known her longer. I don't know what she would do or how to handle it or..." she began shaking.

Ryan sighed, but then saw something. Pam turned around and saw Madge and Keelin. The two didn't seem to notice them yet, so Ryan grabbed her arm again, this time pulling her into the haunted house.

Pam stood still. The first room wasn't so bad, just dimmed lights, cobwebs and a few skeletons lying around. The music in the room sounded like the Twilight Zone theme with a few cackles thrown in.

"Look, she's going find out, and I think it would be best coming from you," Ryan said.

"What about Kali?" Pam asked. She did not want to be the one to tell Michelle.

"And who is going to tell her?" Ryan asked.

"Bentley," Pam said. "You tell Bentley, he tells Kali-"

"Kali is going to be just as angry," Ryan said. "After all, Kali was living with him for several weeks."

Pam nodded. "I don't want them to hate me," Pam said.

"And they won't," Ryan insisted. "So, let's go and you can tell Michelle." Pam shook her head. "Hey, they'd rather find out from you than freak out from finding out on their own." Pam sighed, but nodded in agreement. Ryan turned around, but the door handle wouldn't turn.

"Are we locked in?" Pam asked, squeaking.

"No," Ryan said. "I think we just need to go through."

The two began walking. They were three feet into the second room when the door slammed closed. Pam screamed and tried to open it, but it wouldn't. A chest began to rattle and a scream was emitted from it. Ryan grabbed her hand. "Let's just get through it as quick as possible," Ryan said.

They began walking. Something grabbed her ankle, making her scream and jump. Ryan pulled her quickly to the next room. There was a strobe light, and something was moving and the walls had blood writing and Satanic symbols. Pam was getting close to crying.

The room after that was pitch black, and they had to feel their way through. Pam squeezed Ryan's hand, and she felt a little calmer when he squeezed back. She bumped into something, which seemed to be breathing, so she stepped closer to Ryan.

The last room was supposed to be the scariest. However, when they stepped in, it didn't seem too bad. In fact, it seemed just like the first room. But there was a groaning. Pam backed away from the groaning.

Ryan turned to her, and then his eyes widened. "Pam!"

Pam looked at him, until she felt two arms wrap around her shoulders. Her scream ripped through the room. The arms were bandaged and bleeding and scabbed. She pushed away and ran for the door, running out of the room. The last room, a small kitchenette area, had a girl wearing a nurse's uniform, as well as some fake wounds, standing and smiling. She had a basket of buttons that had 'I survived' written in drippy red writing.

"Congratulations on making it through," she said, holding out a button. Pam just leaned against the wall, breathing deeply.

"Thanks," Ryan said a moment later. He took two buttons, and handed one to Pam.

Ryan began toward the door, but noticed Pam wasn't moving. She was too frightened to. Ryan approached her and put his hands on her shoulders. "It's okay, Pam, nothing was real. You're safe."

"I'm scared because I think Michelle will be scarier when I tell her about Juli and Ringo," Pam said.

Ryan stepped closer. "You'll be fine, Pam," he said.

"Oh, you two are so cute," the injured nurse said. "I remember young love."

"Uh, we're not," Pam said, shaking her head. "I have to go." She rushed past Ryan and ran out of there. She decided she'd tell Michelle, run, and then spend the night with Keelin, which would be the most likely to not have to spend time with boys.

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 **Thanks again for reading, now click on that box below and review! Thanks.**


	4. Keelin Horror Picture Show

**Thanks for reading. Once again, please review! Thanks!**

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SPELLTON ESTATE  
ROCKY HORROR ROOM  
Saturday, October 31st  
7:45 p.m.

Keelin wasn't surprised that the room was mostly girls. HoHo was bobbing her head along to music. A few girls from her Physical Education class, all dressed cats, were in the background, giggling. Keelin, however, was teaching Pam the Time Warp. Apparently Pam had never seen the movie, while Keelin and her mother watched it nearly every year.

Every year, Keelin understood a little more, and wondered why her mother let her watch it.

 _It's just a jump to the left._

The advantage of having Pam around, at least for Keelin, was it was someone else that had trouble talking to boys. Though, Pam was getting better and better at it.

 _Then a step to the right._

As well, Pam picked up on dances much quicker than anyone Keelin had ever met. She showed the dance to Pam once, and she was already performing it flawlessly.

 _You put your hands on your hips._

Pam, as well, was just about Keelin's size, just several inches shorter. Then again, everyone was shorter than Keelin. But, it was nice to have someone to share clothing with, even though Pam was the one getting the benefits. Keelin had only borrowed a denim skirt from Pam, and that was for a mock-photo shoot. Madge wanted to show her Texan friends that all her friends from Westchester weren't all OCDivas. It hadn't exactly worked out in the end.

 _And bring your knees in tight._

It was evident that Pam was reluctant to really get into the dance. But the other girls were sloppily copying Keelin's moves, just a beat behind.

"I hear that they do these midnight shows of the movie," one girl said, interrupting what was usually Keelin's solo, but Keelin was interested in what the girl had to say. "And they have all these rituals that involve yelling things and throwing toilet paper."

"Yeah, and actors stand in front of the screen and act it out as the movie is going," another girl said.

"It's true," HoHo said. "My sister goes. If it's your first time, they taunt you and call you a virgin and stuff."

"What's a virgin?" the first girl asked.

Pam snorted at that. One thing that Keelin had learned about Pam was that she had a good vocabulary, well, adult vocabulary at least. She wasn't so good with the acronyms that flooded the OCD vocab, but Pam had more than once helped Keelin's mother finish a crossword puzzle. On the other hand, apparently most of the girls that went to OCD were sheltered from life.

"Should you tell her?" Pam quietly asked Keelin. "Or should I?"

"A virgin is someone that has never kissed a boy," the second girl stated loudly and proudly.

"Ehmagawd!" the girl gasped. "I am _so_ not a virgin."

Pam and Keelin began laughing.

"That's not what a being a virgin means," HoHo said. She shook her head and flipped her brown hair "Seriously, what is wrong with you? You can kiss a boy and still be a virgin. When you lip-kiss a boy is when you lose your virginhood."

"No, let's just let this play out," Keelin said quietly. She smiled a bit. "This will be so funny when it spreads."

"Oh, then I haven't lost my virginhood yet," the second girl said. Then, she turned to Keelin and Pam. The other girls and HoHo turned as well. "What about you, Keelin?"

"I've lip-kissed a boy," Keelin said, non-chalantly.

However, what was really on Keelin's mind was what the girls had said about the movie, getting played at midnight. She knew her mother would never let her go to a midnight show, especially not alone. As it was, Keelin wouldn't want to go without her friends. But, what if she chose a different movie and did the same thing, only at her house... or possibly convince Madge into it as Madge's house had a home theater. She could create a tradition that would be fun and her idea. She'd be more than just the girl with the fashion. She'd be the girl with the ideas.

She only had to choose a movie, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show was not an option, though the idea of a musical seemed nice. She could finally show off her singing and dancing.

"Honestly, really!"

The yell came from outside and all the girls, Pam and Keelin included, ran to the windows to see what was happening. Of course, they all recognized the voice as belonging to Michelle. Keelin had been laughing with Michelle when a shaken, pale Pam had approached to tell her the news twenty minutes earlier. Michelle had tried to stay calm, but immediately turned and went to track Ringo down. Apparently, Michelle had found him.

Ringo Blake and Juli Spellton were at the party together, couples costume. There was obviously something going on between the two, which was made more obvious by the way Juli had draped herself over Ringo's shoulders earlier, according to Pam.

Keelin hadn't seen Ringo yet, but she had to give Juli props, even if not outloud. It took guts to pull off peacock feathers and snakeskin in one outfit, but she did, even if both were probably faux. Though Keelin wasn't sure if the alligator boots with the fur trim on top were faux or not.

By this time, Michelle had tracked down Ringo and was giving him a piece of her mind.

"Who does she think she is, talking to him like that?" girl one asked.

"Look at those puppy-dog sad eyes," the other girl said.

"Who cares what he looks like," HoHo said. She crossed her arms over her chest. "He's a cheat at Apples to Apples."

The other girls in the room all looked at HoHo. "How do you cheat at that game?"

"Talk about sore loser," the second girl said.

Keelin turned back to the scene unfolding on the lawn between Ringo and Michelle. The party guests were forming a circle around the two as it had become a main attraction.

"You don't have a decent bone in your _body_ , Blake," Michelle snapped. "Ditching your friends to drool over Spellton!"

Ringo laughed, and even Keelin, from her distance, felt a little weak in the knees. He had that effect on a lot of girls though Keelin had been attempting to build a resistance for a few years. "If you had asked me to be your Julius Caesar I would have donned a toga, maybe," Ringo said.

The speed at which Michelle's hand flew through the air and the crack of her palm hitting his face was stunning, frightening even. Ringo went stumbling, then brought his hand up to where she had hit. Michelle was trembling in anger.

"What is her problem?" the first girl asked.

"Michelle and Ringo are close friends," Pam said quietly. It was a small fact that the Beauty Brigade knew, but rarely acknowledged. "And he didn't tell her."

"Well, he should learn to keep better company," the girl said.

Keelin stepped back from the window and turned to the movie again. Tim Curry had finally made his appearance. Part of her just wanted to hear the gasps from the other girls at what he wore. After all, they got a dumbed down version from Glee, but nothing more probably.

But they didn't turn around for a while as the scene continued to unfold.

* * *

 **So, what do you think so far? What are your thoughts on a Juli-Ringo hook-up? Ringli? How about this blossoming friendship between Pam and Keelin? Do they seem like a good friendship?**

 **So, we're gonna meet a few new people in this story. One is HoHo. Then there will be Jenna and Aiden... and of course the 8th-grade Tomahawks.**


	5. Kali's Kisshap

**Parts of this chapter were written while making custard/cake/strawberry filling/whipped cream. It could be why it's one of my tastiest chapters ever... well, for me at least.**

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SPELLTON ESTATE  
SPACIOUS LAWN  
Saturday, October 31  
8:30 p.m.

Kali stood with Bentley to the side. She was trying to keep as calm as possible after Michelle's explosion against Ringo earlier. She had felt a little insulted that Ringo hadn't told her about him and Juli... In fact, she was insulted that he'd even like her remotely. She wondered how his weird friend status with Michelle didn't automatically make it impossible for him to venture towards Haute Topic territory.

"You might as well _try_ to enjoy yourself," Bentley said.

"It's kind of hard," Kali said.

"Why?" Bentley asked. "Because someone other than you put on an amazing party?"

Kali tried not to glare at Bentley, she really tried, but she just couldn't keep herself from doing so. At least it wasn't a full out glare. She knew that she was an Alpha, but she wasn't _his_ Alpha. In fact, when it came to the boys, Ringo was more of an Alpha than any of the others.

Kali figured that was what bothered her the most. She had trusted Ringo, trusted that he'd keep Briarwood's most desirable in line with the Beauty Brigade, but then he went off and hooked Juli. She knew that Bentley and Ryan wouldn't fall to Haute Topic, after all, the only two left were an eleven-year-old and Trixi who put everyone off, but now the OCD girls might raise Haute Topic up in their minds.

Kali was just calming down when she spotted Ringo and Juli strolling around the party, hand in hand. She felt mostly insulted, until she realized how adorable the two looked. And, despite the spots covering Ringo, the couple even looked glamourous.

She could only imagine how they'd look when dressed normally. Juli in her new black outfits with the color pops, Ringo shining in the sun like the God Apollo. It was all too irritating.

"Could you talk to him about that?" Kali asked, gesturing to the two.

"You know that talking to him about that is only going to make him more likely to make it official," Bentley replied. "He takes orders from no one but himself."

"No, he does whatever he can to anger me," Kali said.

"Believe it or not, Ringo does not form his life and opinions around you," Bentley said.

Kali huffed. "Come on," she said, grabbing his hand and pulling him more toward the party. It was enough standing on the sidelines. So what that Juli was holding hands with Ringo Blake. Kali could easily one up her. She waited until people were looking before turning to Bentley, getting on her toes, just for the tiny bit of extra needed height and kissed him... only instead of getting his lips, she got a mouth full of fake beard.

And then people were laughing, clearly having seen what had happened. Her eyes surveyed the party, for a moment seeing how many people were looking, before looking back at Bentley. He stared down at her, a little darkness in his eyes, obviously aware that she was trying to use him to prove her status over Juli. And he was not happy about it.

"Seriously, Kali?" Bentley asked, his voice low.

"What?" Kali asked trying to sound innocent. "It's not like we've never kissed before."

"That's not what that was about and you know it," Bentley said.

"What's wrong?" Kali asked. "Seriously?"

"You're trying to one-up Juli by using _me,_ " Bentley said. "And I get you're in a feud, but don't bring me into it, Kali." He looked at her, stared into her eyes. "I'm yours, Kali, but don't use me. Because, if you do..." he couldn't bring himself to say it.

"I'm sorry, Bentley," Kali said, her eyes widening trying to look more innocent. "It's just..." she turned her eyes away from him, followed by her face. She had to stop herself from smiling when she felt his fingers under her chin, turning her to face him again.

"Kali, I'm yours," Bentley said staring into her eyes. "And everyone knows that. You don't need to prove it and you know that." He bent forward, but instead of kissing her lips, he gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Now, how about I pull Ringo away from her for a while."

Kali smiled at Bentley. Not the perfect solution, but it was something. "If you could get him to leave without him saying good-bye to her, I'll take that."

Bentley chuckled and shook his head, but was smiling. "I'll see what I can do."

With that, Kali went to try to track down the other Hotchkiss. As much as she liked Madge, she knew that the cowgirl could make a scene. She usually didn't have to worry, but at an event as large as this, she didn't know.

She did hear some yelling, though not the same as what Michelle did earlier. It sounded more like a game of some sort, so she decided to check it out. As she was walking, however, a guy stumbled and bumped into her, nearly knocking her down.

"Oh, sorry," he said with a small smile. He smiled at her and Kali bit her lip, trying not to melt into a puddle. He was gorgeous, but also very familiar. It took Kali a moment to realize he almost looked like a blue-eyed Ringo. Only a bit paler. "I'm Harvard." He also had a Boston accent.

"I'm Kali," she said.

"Nice to meet you," Harvard said.

"Do you go to Briarwood?" Kali asked.

"Ah, no," he said. "I'm just in town for the night. My family is looking at houses in the area."

"So, you will be moving here?" Kali asked.

"Maybe," he said. "I attend a boarding school as a day student, so I may stay in Boston for the year."

"And you just happened to wander into this party?" Kali asked.

"I do know someone who was invited," he said. "Though I suppose it would have been a good idea to wear a costume."

Kali smiled a bit. "Maybe," she said. "Can I see you phone for a moment, Harvard?"

"Uh, sure," he said, pulling out a phone and handing it to her. She quickly typed her number in. "In case you do end up coming here, at least now you've got two people you can call up."

He smiled at her, then his phone began ringing. "Sorry, I have to go." He nodded. "It was nice to meet you Kali."

"You too, Harvard," Kali said, feeling her cheeks go a little red. As he walked off, she turned back to her mission to find Madge.

Where the soccer equipment came from, Kali didn't know, but most of the Sirens were playing a game. Madge, as Hope Solo, was having an easy time, as she was dressed for the game. Other girls, such as the girls dressed as conjoined twins, were simply making fools of themselves.

Kali cheered as Madge dodged around a few fake celebs, kicked the ball between the conjoined twins, picking it up on the other side of them, and finally take a shot on a makeshift goal, scoring against a female Elvis.

The girls on her team lightly clapped. Madge smiled, and then spotted Kali, running up to her. "What's up with your team?" Kali asked, pointing to them. They had gathered and two girls sent frowns in their direction.

"Oh, they're just annoyed I'm so good," Madge said. She smiled brightly as if she had just announced that they all loved her. "We have a huge game against PMS in two weeks, and I'm pretty sure I'll be on the starting line-up."

"And what's wrong with that?" Kali asked.

"Because the other girls think it should be strictly people that were on the team at the beginning of the year," Madge said with a shrug. "But, I'm not worried. We have practice tomorrow, and he'll announce our line-up for our game Friday against SAD. If I'm on that starting line-up, then I'm set for our game against PMS."

"They'd be stupid not to start you, Madge," Kali said. "You've got to be the best on the team."

"But I'm the only one to join late," Madge said. "So I have to be extra good to make the starting line-up."

"Well, if this game is anything to go by, you're even better than extra good," Kali said. "And if they have a problem with that, tell them they can take it up with me."

Madge smiled and hugged Kali before rejoining her team and the game.

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 **Thanks again for reading and please review. Tell me what you think of Bentley's short-lived threat. And what about Harvard? Want him to show up at Briarwood right away or do we want to wait a little with him?**


	6. Just Soccer

OCTAVIAN COUNTRY DAY  
SOCCER FIELD  
Sunday, November 1st  
12:53 p.m.

Madge dodged Jenna, keeping the ball, before seeing an opening and passing it to Sarah. It was just a small scrimmage match while their coach finalized the starting line-up for their match against the School of Alexandre Dumas, or SAD as it was better known. Sarah had been in position to score, and took the shot. It barely went in. Lisa, Debbie, and HoHo all rushed to Sarah, congratulating her, as if Madge hadn't been the one to steal it from the other team, take it most of the way down the field, and give the perfect pass.

Still, Madge needed to get into the good graces of her teammates.

"Great shot Sarah!" she said, approaching with enthusiasm. She held up her hand for a high-five, but was left with her hand in the air for a moment before she took it back. "We make an awesome team."

"Yeah, we always were awesome," Debbie said.

Madge sighed and followed as the coach blew his whistle, calling the team in.

"Okay, girls, as you know our next game is against the School of Alexandre Dumas," Coach Renee said.

"I'd be sad if I went there," HoHo said, causing the other girls to laugh.

"Now, we know they're all about French culture," Coach Renee said, ignoring the interruption. "So, they're basically daisies. But, we have to take the game seriously. So, starting line-up. Forwards are Sarah, Jessie, and Holly in the center. Mids are Lisa, Debbie, and Jenna."

Madge held her breath. She had been playing forward and mid-field mostly, but she also made a great stopper.

"Defense Mary left, Patty right, Martha stopper, Monica sweeper, and as always, Lonnie in goal."

Madge felt herself deflate. She was the best player on the team and she knew it. Everyone knew it. Coach Renee released the girls for the day, but Madge waited to talk to the coach.

"Coach Renee, can I ask why I'm not on the starting line-up?" Madge asked, not trying to even lead into it.

Coach looked at the blonde girl. "You're a great player, Madge," Coach Renee said. "You've got the moves, and you're great with passing, but honestly, the team doesn't pass to you. We need to make sure that everyone on the field will be working together when we begin the game. I think you need to prove to them what you can do during a game. We'll talk next week if you can make the starting line."

Madge nodded. She needed to get even better and she needed to do so quickly.

She began her way toward Briarwood, where Bentley had his own practice just beginning. She'd run laps or maybe work on some homework while she waited for him to finish.

However, when she arrived, she noticed a few of the eighth-grade Tomahawks laughing and kicking the ball around a bit. She placed her bag down and watched them. Apparently they had just finished their practice and were playing around.

Madge bit her lip. Cam Fisher, Josh Hotz, Dempsey Soloman, Derrrick Harrington, Chris Plovert, and Kemp Hurley. She knew that, at least some of them, were Pretty Committee territory. But, then again, they were all cute, and all a lot better at soccer than her own peers. If she could prove that she could play with them, then there was no way her teammates would doubt her.

Approaching them wasn't a problem for her, but then again, they'd just laugh that a small girl wanted to play soccer with them. However, after a moment of plotting words and how to stand, a perfect moment came when the ball came flying her way. She stopped it easily.

"Hey, Little Hotchkiss, toss it back, will you?" Kemp called out, surprising her that he knew who she was, even if not necessarily by name, but rather by who her brother was.

She abandoned her bag and dribbled the ball up a few feet. "I'll make a deal with you," she said. "If you can get the ball back, I'll let you keep it."

The boys all laughed. "You serious?" Chris asked. He turned to the other guys. "This will be easy, leave it to me."

Madge smiled as he began to approach, and then she was off. She easily dodged around him, and sped forward into the midst of the boys. She used her fancy footwork to keep the ball away from Cam. She almost lost it to Josh, but quickly got it back.

Dempsey actually stopped the ball, but didn't expect her to collide with him, and was thrown from his feet when she went to get the ball back.

"Who's the keeper?" she asked, passing the ball between Kemp's feet.

"That would be me," Derrick, or Derrington as she had heard him referred as, said, getting ready to block a shot. So Madge dodged another attempt by Chris to get the ball, and took a shot. It was great aim, to the side, but Derrington was a better keeper than she had ever faced off against and stopped it.

"I will admit, you've got moves Little Hotchkiss," Derrington said, smiling.

"Yeah, you're welcome to play with us anytime," Kemp said, slinging an arm around her. He looked down at her, and she knew that he was trying to see down her shirt, but she also knew there was no good view. There wasn't much to see anyway.

"Now, let's see if you can get the ball back," Dempsey said, after Derrington tossed the ball back to the field.

Madge smiled, glad that they hadn't laughed her away.

Madge hadn't realized how much time had gone by until she heard Bentley's voice. "What are you doing, Madge?"

She looked up from her attempts to steal the ball from Kemp, felt his hand brush her butt (which she knew wasn't an accident), and saw Bentley and Ryan by her bag. They both had sweat slicked hair and it was obvious they had just had a grueling practice.

"Oh, come on, Hotchkiss," Derrington said. "We're just playing around. Come join us."

Bentley lifted an eyebrow. "Yeah, no, we just did suicides for the last half hour. Madge, unless you want to walk home, we're leaving, now."

"Sorry, I have to go," Madge said, smiling. She ran to her stuff. "Bye, y'all."

"Bye, Little Hotchkiss," Derrington called.

"I'd like to Hotchkiss that," she heard Kemp say as she followed Bentley and Ryan to their ride.

"What was that about?" Bentley asked as they closed the door in the limo their father sent.

"What do you mean?" Madge asked taking her hair out of the high-pony it had been in. She finger combed it out as the two boys stared at her.

"You, them," Ryan said. He lifted an eyebrow. "You know what he means."

"We were just playing soccer," Madge said, smiling.

"That we saw," Bentley said. "But how did that even start?"

Madge shrugged. "They were playing and I got the ball, so they invited me to join." However, she couldn't keep herself from smiling.

"Most of them are dating the Pretty Committee," Ryan said.

"I know," Madge nodded. "But, not all of them are."

"So, what position are you playing against SAD?" Bentley asked, attempting to change the subject.

Madge deflated again. "I don't know," she said. "I didn't make starting line-up."

"Why not?" Ryan asked.

Madge sighed. "Because my team doesn't like me," Madge said. She heard her phone beep in her bag and rushed to pull it out in case it was from Kali. But, instead it was a Facebook notice. She had a new friend request. She smiled again as she saw it was from Kemp. She accepted.


	7. A Dinner to Faint For

**Hey, thanks for everyone for sticking with me. I'm gonna update the Cliquetionary very soon, including with my first character chart. Ahb-viously it will be Michelle. But, enjoy and review!**

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BLAKE ESTATE  
INFORMAL DINING ROOM  
Sunday, November 1st  
6:12 p.m.

Michelle sat quietly, her eyes narrowed at Ringo. As was tradition, Sunday meant some form of a meal with the Blakes. It was Bella Blake's turn to host, and she chose a dinner at her home. Not made by her, of course. Michelle doubted that the woman she had called Aunt Belle until she was nine could boil water in a pan without burning something, but the woman did know how to pick a dinner menu. They were working on appetizers of stuffed potatoes, which Michelle was barely picking at because she could literally see the grease, while they waited for Cruz to return from picking up the Indian food from Bella's favorite restaurant.

"How has school been going for you, Ringo?" Ceri asked. "Was the transition back to Briarwood successful?"

"Oh, school's fine," Ringo said. "Honestly, I feel bad for those that were in advanced classes. They've had to cut down on them, with only half the students, and a few were transferred back."

"Did that happen at OCD?" Willem asked, turning towards Michelle.

"No," Michelle said briskly. "They took the best of the regular classes and moved them forward. Apparently they have more faith in the girls."

She didn't mention how that brought her into several of Juli's classes. In fact, she now had at least one Haute Topic member in every class.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Ringo jumped to his feet. "I hope it's okay that I invited someone to dinner," he said.

"Oh, but we only ordered five entrees, Ringo," Bella said.

"Actually I told Cruz to order six," Ringo said before walking out of the room.

Eyes turned on Michelle. "What?" she asked. "I don't know who he invited. You barely allowed me to invite Kali last week to brunch, and she's living with us."

"Believe me, if he had asked, I would have said no," Bella said. "And to think, he just got off punishment yesterday."

Ringo walked back in, smiling brightly. Next to him stood Juli, dressed in a-Michelle hated to admit-beautiful black dress with a slanted purple belt at her hips, her hair hanging down in large, loose curls. Michelle hated that Juli looked so perfect, and especially that Juli's lashes looked super long giving her eyes a mysterious beauty.

"Oh, Juli," Ceri said, certainly surprised to see the girl. Michelle knew her parents hadn't seen Juli since the Halloween party in the fifth grade. Ceri smiled. "How nice it is to see you."

"Yes, you're looking quite well," Willem said.

"Ah, Mom," Ringo said, apparently smitten with the girl. "This is Juli."

"So good to meet you," Bella said. She gestured to the table. "Please, take a seat. Dinner will be here shortly."

"Thank you so much for inviting me," Juli said, a smile plastered on her face as she sat down next to Ringo. "Ringo talks about you incessantly and I just couldn't wait to actually meet you, Mrs. Blake."

"Funny that he never mentioned you," Michelle said, swirling her fork around her potato.

"I'll give you the house grand tour after dinner," Ringo said smiling at Juli.

"Oh, this little place compared to her own home?" Michelle questioned. "I'm sure she'll learn her way around it quickly. It shouldn't be a problem."

"Oh, but I'd love a tour," Juli said. "I've heard that your decorating is to die for, Mrs. Blake. And seeing this dining room, I think that the rumors don't give you justice."

Bella's cheeks pinkened a bit. Michelle's eyes lit with fire. There were some people that Michelle would not stand to lose to anything and Bella was one of them.

"Aunt Belle," Michelle said with a smile. She hadn't called her Aunt Belle in about three years and she knew it would pull on Bella's heartstrings. "Oh, she could have easily been an interior decorator if she wanted to. Did you know she actually designed the kitchen here."

Bella put a hand over her heart, a warm smile on her lips. "You remember that, Michelle?" she asked, a little stary-eyed.

"Of course," Michelle said. "You designed it and redesigned it until you had it perfect."

Ringo, however, lifted an eyebrow at Michelle. "Aunt Belle?" he questioned. "You haven't called my mother that in years."

"Oh, did I say that?" Michelle asked. "I didn't even realize."

"So, does that make us cousins?" Ringo asked.

"Sorry, but I already have two cousins, and that is enough," Michelle said. She smiled at Bella. "But I've always felt like you were part of my family. I mean, I know you better than I do my uncle or cousins."

"Well, if you took the time to meet your cousins, maybe that wouldn't be a problem," Juli said.

Willem, sitting next to Michelle, simply sighed while Ceri shook her head. They spotted what was happening as they lived with it daily.

After dinner-which Michelle had spent glaring at Juli-Ceri and Willem decided to stay a while and have a few drinks with Bella. Unfortunately, Ceri had given Luis the night off so Michelle had to choose between spending time at the Blakes or walking home. She looked down at her red prada pumps, which were really cute and new.

So she stayed, though was not about to watch her mother get blitzed while her father watched and laughed. She did, however, enjoy that she was getting in the way of Juli and Ringo having any alone time. She didn't know if they were an official couple, but she was going to make sure that they were not going to have any alone time to have their first lip-kiss.

"So, it's honestly just you and your mother that live here?" Juli asked, careful to walk very close to Ringo without actually touching him. Michelle could tell that Ringo was just itching to reach out and take her hand. They were walking through the family den, which was different from either of the living rooms.

"No," Michelle said. "Cruz officially lives on the property, though they do have different mailboxes." She smiled. Every time she thought that her presence seemed to fade, she would make a comment to make them jump apart, which was exactly what they did when she spoke. "His father officially lives here too, though he's here less than two months of the year. His official address is here."

"I didn't ask you," Juli said, turning to Michelle. She crossed her arms. "You know, I think you're just jealous that Mrs. Blake took such an immediate liking to me. I'm charming, much more so than you." She began walking toward Michelle. "And I'm sure we both know that Mr. Blake will like me just as much. I don't need to call her Aunt Belle and pout."

"Bella loves me like a daughter," Michelle said. "And nothing you say can change that."

Off to the side, Ringo rolled his brown eyes. "And somehow I thought this was about me," he mumbled, and both girls turned to look at him.

"Sorry, Ringo," Juli said, and began walking back towards him. "I think she's just jealous of our relationship."

"As if," Michelle snapped. But she realized suddenly, that she was. Juli and Ringo, where neither was the obvious lesser. Because, as much as Ryan was good-looking and popular and athletic, he wasn't a true HART, because he wasn't an Alpha, at least not a full one. And, while there were aspects to Ryan that Michelle liked, she didn't exactly truly like-like him. "You're acting like you've already lip-kissed."

"Who says we haven't?" Juli questioned. And then, before Michelle's eyes, Juli spun, got on her toes, and kissed Ringo, right on the lips.

Michelle suddenly felt the world spinning... or was that her? She wasn't even sure. She was definitely light-headed. She spoke in her head a few times not to scream.

"Mischief?" It took her a moment to register Ringo's voice.

Suddenly, Michelle was looking at the ceiling. "Oh em gee, did she just faint?" Michelle heard Juli's voice. And the ceiling was moving. A chandelier? It needed dusting.

"Ceri," Ringo's voice sounded. "Willem!"

Michelle slowly blinked, and turned her head. "Why are you holding me, Ringo?" she asked. In her head, there was a lot of bite in her voice, but she heard herself as sounding drowsy.

"What happened?" her father asked. Her feet were placed on the ground, but she was still leaning against someone, her father this time.

"I don't now, she just fainted," Ringo said.

"She barely touched her dinner," Juli said. Michelle could hear the plotting in her head. "You don't think that she's trying to starve herself to lose weight, do you?"

"Not the way she drinks smoothies down," Ceri said.

"I'm fine," Michelle said. She tried to walk, but her father held her.

"I'll get you to the car," Willem said. He turned for a moment. "Juli, would you like a ride home?"

"Sure," Juli said, but Michelle heard the hesitation in her voice.

Michelle steadied herself once seated. She looked to the side and noted Juli, a small smirk on the girl's face. "Oh, the tales I have," she said. "But we both know why you really fainted."

"You know nothing," Michelle said.

Juli leaned close. "You're jealous that I was Ringo's first kiss," she said.

Michelle laughed. "That's a riot. He never told you about Claudia? The girl he had a long-term flirtation with in Egypt last summer?"

"Then it's just that I kissed him and you didn't," Juli said after a pause.

"I couldn't care if you kissed him or not," Michelle said. "I'd rather kiss a frog."


	8. Kali Kouture

**Hey, I'm back. This chapter has been finished for a while, but I was trying to finish the next before posting, but oh well, it's not done yet. Anyway, hope you like and review!**

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OCD  
CAFETERIA  
Monday, November 1st  
12:03 p.m.

"Why are you so happy?" Michelle asked Kali as the Beauty Brigade met for lunch. "You've been smiling like a loon all morning." She paused for a moment, folding her hands in front of her on the table. "Honestly, I think Luis is concerned." All the Brigaders knew that when Michelle said 'Luis is concerned'-or really when Michelle mentioned any of Luis's thoughts or beliefs-it was Michelle's way of admitting that _she_ was concerned.

"Oh!" Keelin squeaked in excitement that her voice could not contain, so she jumped as well. "Is it Bentley? Did you two kiss?"

"Or better yet, find a way to destroy Juli and Ringo's relationship?" Michelle asked.

"No, Michelle, I have not," Kali said calmly as she opened her book bag. "And, Keelin, really? You've seen us lip-kiss."

"We've seen you beard-kiss too," Madge said, giggling.

"It was a simple kisshap," Michelle said, showing that she was, indeed, on Kali's side.

Kali just rolled her grey-green eyes, though she remained smiling. She seemed to finally find what she was looking for in her bag and pulled out a few pieces of paper, handing one to each of the Brigaders. In neat calligraphy 'Kali Kouture' was written across the top. Beneath it were two columns with pictures of different accessories Kali knew how to make and prices. "This is my project for my Female Empowerment Workshop."

"That Shira Brazille seminar?" Michelle asked, frowning a bit.

Kali rolled her eyes again. "It's called FEW and yes," she said. "And, being my official correspondents, you can each choose two free items."

"Wait, what?" Michelle questioned. She was really missing being Alpha.

"Oh, can I have a braided belt in neutral?" Madge asked, pointing at one of the items.

"The lace glovelet," Keelin said.

Kali jotted both down. "I'm gonna train you guys tomorrow after school, and we'll start selling Wednesday."

"Why are we your official correspondents?" Michelle asked

Kali smiled. "Because you can earn free pieces. For every ten pieces you sell, you'll get a free piece of your choosing."

"I can _buy_ anything I want," Michelle said. She bit her tongue to stop herself from reminding Keelin and Madge that they could too.

Kali tilted her head and smiled. "In that case, you can wait with the rest of the school to buy and receive your items."

Michelle frowned and looked at the sheet. It was obvious that Kali had talent, and all of the items were cute. In fact, Kali had, in the past, made several accessories in each of the girls' closets.

"I'll do you one better," Michelle finally said. She grabbed the sheet and put it into her satchel. "I'll show this to my mom for Ceri's Place."

Kali's grey-green eyes widened. Kali Kouture would be popular at OCD, simply because the Beauty Brigade would wear it. But, if Ceri wanted an order of it that could really turn Kali Kouture into a real business. And _that_ was what the FEW was about.

"Are you serious?" Kali asked slowly, awe coming to her eyes.

To Michelle, it looked like a weakness. If the two were reversed, Michelle would have approached Ceri directly. But, Michelle also knew that Kali hadn't even thought of the idea that a store like Ceri's Place would want her items.

"The flowers," Michelle said, indicating to the one she wore in her hair even that day. "It gets the most compliments, so that's what she'll probably want."

"But won't you have to make a lot of them for that?" Keelin asked, tilting her head.

"Well, she's not going to get anywhere by only making one," Michelle said. She smiled. "She can't make them per person. She has to make them and convince enough people to buy them."

Kali smiled and threw her arms around Michelle, surprising the small girl. "You're such a good friend," she said. Kali released her. "And you're also right." She sat back in her own chair then folded her hands in front of her. "Now, Michelle, I need you to breathe deep and keep calm."

Michelle froze. She knew it. This was it. Kali was handing over the Alpha status back to its rightful owner. She just didn't want Michelle to squeal.

"There have been some rumors," Kali said. "Some are just stupid. Everyone knows you don't have an eating disorder." Madge giggled a bit at that. "But, look, I know you... passed out... last night."

Michelle slightly deflated, but didn't let it show. Clearly, this was not about her Alpha status. Honestly, she didn't care about anything unless it had to do with her becoming Alpha again. She knew that she was best equipped to fight Juli and the Haute Topic.

"Ehmagawd, Michelle," Keelin gasped. "You fainted?"

"It was more of a dizzy episode," Michelle said. "From seeing the disgusting sight of Juli and Ringo trying to suck face. It would make anyone dizzy. Honestly, I'm surprised that they didn't throw-up when they realized what happened."

"Juli and Ringo kissed?" Madge asked. "Like, lip-kiss?"

"Yes," Michelle hissed. "Get over it."

"Anyway," Kali interrupted. "The fact is Juli saw it." She paused a moment. "And, well, she's been saying it's because you've got FATS." She bit her lip a bit, smearing her lip gloss. "And some people think she might be right."

"But... Michelle isn't fat," Madge said, gesturing to the small girl.

But Michelle's indigo eyes had widened.

"FATS is Fallen Alpha Trauma Syndrome," Keelin said.

"That's what Juli had for, like, nearly two whole years," Kali said to Madge. "Before you came to town. You just didn't notice it because you didn't see it happen. You just thought that the Juli you met was how she always was."

"FATS does not make someone pass out," Michelle said.

"It affects all girls differently," Kali said slowly.

"I don't not have FATS," Michelle snapped. She stood up, but had to grab the table and the chair to steady herself. She took a deep breath. "Excuse me," she said. "I think I left something in my locker." With that, Michelle turned and walked out of the cafeteria and straight to the nurse's office.

Michelle was still there when Ceri arrived at the school. Michelle hadn't passed out, but she had definitely felt dizzy and Ceri was concerned when she received a call from the nurse.

"What are you doing here?" Michelle asked.

"I'm here to take you to the doctor's office," Ceri said.

"I'm not sick, Mom," Michelle argued. "What about Ceri's place?"

"Dee can watch the store," Ceri said. "You're my daughter. You are more important." With that, Ceri helped Michelle to collect her items and walk out to the car. She was driving the Rolls Royce, which she knew Michelle preferred. And there was a smoothie waiting for Michelle when she got there. Everything to keep Michelle calm and happy.

But Michelle was anything but excited to see the doctor. To her, those in perfect health didn't need to see a doctor, and if she was seeing a doctor, that meant she was not in perfect health.

Michelle's Dos and Don'ts  
Do survive this doctor's visit  
Don't faint again  
Do prove that you do _nawt_ have FATS  
Don't faint again  
Do have more smoothies for strength  
Don't faint ever again!

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 **So, don't forget to review. Also, I've updated the Cliquetionary.**


	9. Keelin's Idea

**Hey, sorry if you waited for this, but it wasn't that long, right? Hope you enjoy and don't forget to review.**

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KELLY ABODE  
KEELIN'S ROOM  
Monday, November 2nd  
5:05 p.m.

Keelin held up a drawing to the computer, where she was video-chatting with Bambi. The girl's step-mother had agreed to make some items for Keelin's Movie Theater Experience, as she was calling it. Or KMTE, as she was shortening it. And Keelin had settled on a movie. It was a favorite of even those that didn't like musicals. _Grease_.

"So, I was thinking a little more modernized version for the jackets of the Pink Ladies," Keelin said. "More fitted at the waist, lapels, maybe a little tuxedo-y with longer tails, but not too long."

"Doesn't exactly sound like the Pink Ladies," Bambi said, her voice sounding like velvet. That was one thing Keelin loved about her step-mother. Her actual mother could sing like no other, but regular talking wasn't much. But when Bambi spoke, it was pleasing to the ear.

"It's a reimaging," Keelin said. "Like a raven-haired Sandy."

"Oh, so you're going to be Sandy?" Bambi asked. "How do your friends feel about that?"

"Well, I haven't exactly told them yet," Keelin said. "Any of it..."

Bambi cocked her head. "And, when do you plan to tell them?"

"Tomorrow," Keelin said. "At lunch." She smiled. "But that's why I need the designs finalized. It will totes help convince them to go for it."

"Well, if you're sure," Bambi said. "I'll make a few tweaks to your designs and e-mail them back to you. And I'll come up with a few costume designs for the T-Birds and extras as well."

Keelin smiled and clapped her hands. "Thanks Bambi, you're the best."

Keelin hopped up out of her chair and headed toward the door, hearing the front door open. Her mother had returned home with dinner, and that night was Thai from Keelin's favorite take-out place. The fact the Keelin ate there once a week had kept it in business, as once others discovered the Brigader ate there, others believe they could obtain Keelin's greatness by eating at her favorite restaurant as well. That had been several years ago, and now the restaurant thrived.

"Pad Thai," Brigid said, pulling out a container. "No peanuts, and a tad extra sauce."

Keelin slipped into her chair, grabbing the silverware. She only used chopsticks when Michelle was around... Or when they went out to eat. But she didn't need to impress her mother. Her mother still used chopstick helpers when she used them.

"So, have you been practicing your audition piece?" Brigid asked.

"Mom, we aren't going to actually have to sing and speak," Keelin said. "The movie will be playing. We're just going to be acting it."

"I still don't get it," Brigid said. "Wouldn't a play just be simpler?"

"We're not going for simple," Keelin said. "Anyway, there are enough drama kids. This is for the rest of us."

"And you're creating the cast?" Brigid asked. "Are you even close enough to that many people?"

"Kali will help," Keelin said.

"How do you know?" Brigid asked. "Doesn't she have her own things going on?"

"Then Michelle will," Keelin said. "Or Madge."

"And, where, exactly, do you plan on presenting this?" Brigid asked. "Because we're not doing it here. Movie viewing party, sure. But the whole shebang... No."

Keelin sighed. That was a part she hadn't completely figured out. She couldn't just rent a theater, too expensive for her. Then again, Madge's home theater would actually be too small. She wanted a viewing audience to admire and appreciate her. She was, after all, going to be the star for once. After dinner, she decided to consult someone that usually had pretty good ideas.

"Hello?" Pam's voice sounded.

"Hey," Keelin said. She was sitting on her bed, flipping through a math packet. Part of her wanted to ask Pam for help on the homework. They were in different classes, but the same level with the same teacher. But then again, Keelin was determined to stick to her plan. "So remember when we were at Spellton's party Saturday night and we were watching Rocky Horror and that girl said something about how they have midnight showings with actors that are in front of the screen?"

There was a pause. "There is no way my parents will let me go see a midnight showing of any movie, not to mention that one," Pam said.

"No," Keelin said. "I know that. But, picture this... Grease. Same concept, only us on the stage."

Pam was silent for a momen. "Give me a second," she said, which meant that Mel was in the vicinity.

"Okay," Keelin said. "I'll talk, you listen. I want to try something similar, but use Grease as the movie. I think it would be awesome. And the Brigade, and you of course, can be the Pink Ladies while Ryan and Bentley and them could be the T Birds."

"Aren't there a lot of people in Grease?" Pam asked. "I mean, Rocky Horror only has, like, ten actual roles. Grease has a lot more."

"Deets to be fleshed out later," Keelin said. "My problem, if I want to do this, I need a place to hold it." She stopped for a moment. "But I can' think of a place I can access."

"Why not ask Prinipal Burns if you can have it in the auditorium?" Pam asked. "It has a stage and it'll be easy to erect a screen and a projector."

Keelin's light blue eyes lit up. "Ehmagawd, you're a genius! Like, Einstein."

"Awesome," Pam said.

"You have to come with me to ask Burns," Keelin said..

"I, what?" Pam asked. "No. She'll think I want to be one of the people on stage."

"You have to," Keelin said. "You'd be a perfect Frenchi! Or, if you want a smaller part, Cha-cha. She just dances really. And you're a great dancer."

"I dance ballet," Pam said. "It's nothing like... No."

"It won't actually involve talking," Keelin said. She made a puppy face even though she was on the phone. "Pretty please."

"I... I don't..."

"Come on, Glam," Keelin said. Anytime anyone called her Glam, it always made Pam blush and crack under any request.

"I really... I have to go," Pam said and hung up.

This wouldn't deter Keelin. She grabbed her coat, book bag, and laptop. She then slipped an outfit into her book bag. Slipping her coat on, she called out the door. "I'm heading to Pam's house." And then she was quickly trotting down the road, careful to avoid nearing Arlen's house even though it would cut her trip by over half.

Mini-Mel answered the door. "What do you want?" She asked.

"Is Pam here?" She asked.

"Nope," Mini-Mel said, emphasizing the 'P.'

Keelin, however, didn't believe her. "Oh, Pamela," she called out, loudly. Her voice boomed though the house. A moment later, Dee Van Allen, Pam and Mel's mother appeared in sight.

"Keelin, come in," Dee said. "Pam's up in her room doing her homework."

"Awesome!" Keelin said. She held up her bag. "We were going to do it together. She's helping me in English and I'm helping her in fashion design."

"Pam's not in fashion design," Mini-Mel said.

"We're working on getting her in it for next semester," Keelin said, strolling in. She slipped out of her shoes and then headed up the stairs. Pam was sitting on her bed, a small frown on her face. Keelin just smiled, opened her bag, and pulled out the outfit she had slipped inside it. A pair of dark blue skinny jeans and an asymmetrical pink blouse with off the shoulder sleeves. Both were brand names that even Pam had heard of. "So, here's the deal. I was gonna give these away to charity, but if you promise to come with me tomorrow, they're yours."

Pam bit the side of her lip and stared at the outfit with her soft brown eyes. She wanted it. Both items. They were cute, and versatile.

"You know, how about you try them on," Keelin said.

"You're cruel," Pam said, grabbing the items and turning away as she changed.

"Oh, with a cute blue belt at your waist to accentuate how skinny you are and some cute boots, it would be a killer haute outfit," Keelin said. "You totes have to wear it tomorrow."

Pam sighed. "What time are we gonna talk to Burns?"

Keelin squealed and clapped her hands. "This is gonna be so fab!"


	10. Ringli

**Sorry, it was a longer wait than I intended it to be. But, here is it! Read, enjoy, and Review!**

* * *

BLAKE ESTATE  
STUDY  
Monday, November 2nd  
7:09 p.m.

Juli loved to spend time with Ringo. Just the two of them. It was no question that Ringo caught pretty much every eye of every girl that saw him. In the last week alone, she had spotted two members of the Pretty Committee, one DSL-Dater, and at least eight B-listers flirting with him. That didn't include LBRs or any flirting done at her party.

She kind of just wished he liked chocolate because popping a piece into his mouth seemed like a great idea.

However, he had homework to do, and technically, Ringo was still on probation. She had spent an hour with her mother planning her outfit–a simple Alice and Olivia tank dress in violet, a black knit cropped shrug for her arms, and had her feet tucked into a pair of royal blue ballet flats by Mui Mui–but because Ringo hadn't finished his homework earlier, he couldn't even appreciate it outside because Bella said he wasn't allowed to leave the house until his homework was finished.

Juli figured that she could get a little work done as well, having her book for literature in her over-sized satchel. Instead, she pulled out her phone.

 **Juli: Trix, how are you coming along on your mission?**

She waited a minute, scrolling through a few Pintrist boards before she got a reply.

 **Trixi: I went to his house but he wasn't home**

 **Juli: ? is he?**

 **Trixi: IDK His mom just said out**

Juli sighed. Taking on the Brigade was proving to be a challenge. She had given Mel and Trixi each a mission. Mel was working on finding a fourth member. At this point, Juli really didn't care if it was Pam, though Mel wanted to include her sister. She was taking other girls into consideration as well, but Mel had the closest connection to Pam.

Trixi, on the other hand, had a very different mission. Only one of the Brigaders had a boyfriend, and Juli wanted it to stay that way. As of yet, Michelle and Ryan had not Defined The Relationship, also known as DTR. Technically, neither had Juli and Ringo, but she knew it was going to happen soon. They had lip-kissed, after all. And they had a name, Ringli, a cute little thing Trixi had begun to spread around school that morning and had caught like wildfire.

"You know, if you're going to text, you could text me," Ringo said from where he sat on the couch across from her. She looked up at him and smiled. It was hard not to smile when Ringo looked at people, and for once, Juli was no exception. Juli's cheeks went red as Ringo smiled at her.

"What would the point of that be?" Juli asked. "We're sitting across from one another."

Ringo let out a soft laugh. "And maybe that's the problem," he said as he stood up, ditching his books, and slipped onto the couch next to her. He slung his arm around her. Juli quickly dropped her phone into her satchel, not about to let him see what Trixi was texting her. "I'm just about finished," he said. "So, how about we head to the den and pop in a movie. I just have a few math problems to solve, so it'll only take me a minute."

"What movie?" Juli asked, trying not to chew on her glossed lips, and utterly failing. She couldn't help it. She had initiated the first lip-kiss, and it hadn't exactly been romantic. This time, she wanted him to kiss her, and she wanted the fireworks to not be interrupted by Michelle's passing out.

"Your pick," Ringo said. "On one condition."

Juli sighed. She already knew the condition. No rom-coms. That wouldn't be a problem, as Juli had plenty of movies that she liked that weren't romantic comedies... And plenty that were but hidden under just enough drama or comedy for someone not to notice.

"What is Juli short for?" Ringo asked.

Juli sat up straight. That was something she hadn't been expecting. Usually, no one cared. And most assumed that it was short for Julia, if short for anything at all. But, she gathered herself back up quickly. "Juliet," she told him. It was the honest truth.

Ringo's smile glowed as he leaned closer. "Then you may call me Romeo," he said, reaching forward to push one of her delicate curls off her face. He began to lean toward her.

"Ringo!" Bentley's voice sounded from the door. "What are you... Oh, I didn't know you had company."

Juli turned away from Ringo and turned to see not just Bentley, but Ryan and Caleb at the door was well. She took a deep breath. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Monday night," Ryan said. He shrugged. "We do math review."

Juli eyed Ringo for a moment. "Sorry, I kind of forgot," he said. He stared at the three other boys. "Mostly because we're in different math classes this year and we haven't done it since early September."

"No, we've been dong it," Ryan said. "You just haven't been coming over. So we decided to bring it to you."

"How did you even get in?" Ringo asked.

"Cruz," Bentley said. He turned to Juli. "You're welcome to join."

"My math homework is done," she said.

"This is review," Caleb said. "We go over what we learned last week to make sure we all understand it."

"Which doesn't help if you three are at a different math level than I am," Ringo said. But he stood. "Why don't you go over to Mischief's house and review with her and Kali?"

Juli leaned her head back, but then smiled. "You know what, sure," she said. She turned to Ringo. "Let's review. I mean, math is the only thing you have left, right? They can help you."

"Perfect," Bentley said. "Come, Ringli Circus, to the kitchen. We brought ice cream."

"I'm sorry, the Ringli _what?_ " Juli questioned.

"Oh, tell me you've heard of the Ringley Circus," Ryan said.

"I believe it is the Ringling," Juli said. "Stress on the ING ending."

"Close enough," Bentley said with a shrug.

"I guess that would make you and Kali Barnum and Bailey," Juli said. "Because, let's be honest, you're more of a circus act than Ringo and I are."

Ringo frowned a little. "Please tell me you guys didn't come here to antagonize Juli at the bequest of Mischief," he said.

"Of course not," Caleb said. "Now, we really just came here to... Did you just say 'bequest?'"

"As a matter of fact, yes, I did," Ringo said. "And, Caleb, I do believe you when you say you came here to study. Those two," he nodded to Bentley and Ryan. "I'm not sure about."

"Oh, Ringo, how long have we known each other?" Ryan asked. "And yet you still suspect me?"

"That's why I suspect you," Ringo said.

Juli placed her hand on his shoulder. "It's okay," she said. "I'm not going to allow them to annoy me that way. Anyway, if they think we're a circus let's give them an act."

Ringo smiled down at her and took her waist in his hands, pulling her closer. "If you insist." And with that, he pulled her closer and kissed her, lightly, on the lips. The shocked faces of his friends was satisfaction enough for her when they parted.

"Oh, look, no one fainted this time," she said. She smiled brightly. "Now, someone said ice cream?"


End file.
